PCT Discusses “Peyton Place”

The Pocono Community Theater is located on Courtland Street.
Photo Credit / Amanda Schreck

The Pocono Community Theater is located on Courtland Street.Photo Credit / Amanda Schreck

By Amanda SchreckSC Staff Writer

Looking for a juicy scandal to dig into? A new month means another book to read and discuss with community members at the Pocono Community Theater (PCT) Book Club.

This month, everyone will read “Peyton Place” by Grace Metalious.

The 1956 New York Times best-selling novel also took to the silver screen in 1957, and it was adapted into a television series that ran from 1964 to 1969. The novel follows three women — Constance MacKenzie, her daughter Allison, and her friend Selena Cross — through their lives in a seemingly picturesque town.

When it was published, the story created a lot of buzz with its plot riddled with scandals and secrets. “Peyton Place” is a follow-up to the book club the PCT did with “Fifty Shades of Grey,” which has gained a lot of attention the last few years.

Courtney Tolino, PCT general manager, said, “It will be interesting to see what was considered scandalous in the 50’s versus today. ‘Peyton Place’ was banned in several conservative areas of the United States.”

The film will also be discussed during the book club, and if anyone is interested in seeing the movie for themselves, it is available online and on Netflix.

Students and the community now have a special opportunity to dive into literature that may not be on their radar because it is from a different time.

“I think reading something from an earlier decade will give readers a glimpse into that time period as well as the culture. Again, this book was banned in some areas. I think it will be a great discussion to see how things have and haven’t changed over the years,” said Tolino.

Reaching out to the community and local students is one of the main reasons that the PCT chooses a wide variety of books each month.

Tolino said, “Our main goal with book club is to expose readers to books that they might not have picked up on their own. It is important to have a group that gets people reading and discussing what they have read.”

Because the PCT is so close to campus, they encourage students to get out and expose themselves to new stories from this decade and many others.

“If any students choose to attend, it is a great opportunity to get exposure to literature outside of the classroom and read things that they might not have otherwise read. I also personally always love hearing what other readers thought about the book and film adaption,” said Tolino.

“Peyton Place” will be discussed at the Pocono Community Theater Café at 2:00 PM on March 29.